Online Library Resources

Research Self-Assessment

The 5 questions below will help you assess your own academic research skills and find ways to improve on what you already know!

Instructions

Assess your research skills by answering the 5 research questions below with:

Not confident           Somewhat confident           Very confident

Based on your answers, there are more research resources below the quiz that will help you learn more or provide a refresher for skills you already have.

Feel free to take photos, open a google doc to save links, or email yourself notes as you assess your own research skills.

Five Questions for Research Self-Assessment

1) I can create a good research question.

Not confident           Somewhat confident           Very confident

2) I can develop and adjust a search strategy as part of my research process.

Not confident           Somewhat confident           Very confident

3) I can find credible evidence to support my thesis.

Not confident           Somewhat confident           Very confident

4) I can determine where a source falls on the popular/scholarly continuum.

Not confident           Somewhat confident           Very confident

5) I know how to cite print and online sources in MLA, APA, or another citation style.

Not confident           Somewhat confident           Very confident

1) I can create a good research question.

Not confident  to Somewhat confident. . .review What is a Research Question.

Very confident. . .your research question should be. . .

• clear: it provides enough specifics that one’s audience can easily understand its purpose without needing additional explanation.
• focused: it is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space the writing task allows.
• concise: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
• complex: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no,” but rather requires synthesis and analysis of ideas and sources prior to composition of an answer.
• arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts.

2) I can develop and adjust a search strategy as part of my research process.

Not confident to  Somewhat confident. . .review Find Articles and Find Books & Articles tutorial.

Very confident. . .you. . .

• Have potential keywords from research question
• Know which subject-specific databases to use
• Practiced plugging in different keywords and getting different search results
• Understand how to access the resource (PDF, HTML, Permalink)

3) I can find credible evidence to support my thesis.

Not confident to  Somewhat confident. . .review Evaluating Sources.

Very confident. . .you already use the SIFT method:

1. Stop. Pause before you share or use. What is your emotional response to the information? What biases do you have? Also, consider what you already know about the topic and the source. Do you know and trust the website or source of the information? If not, use the other moves to get a sense of what you're looking at. If you find yourself falling down the rabbit hole of fact-checking STOP and recall your goal. Approach the problem at the right amount of depth for your purpose.

2. Investigate the Source. You can usually do this with a quick web or Wikipedia search. Taking 60 seconds to figure out its origin before reading will help you decide if it is worth your time, and if it is, help you to better understand its significance and trustworthiness.

3. Find Trusted Coverage. Look for other trusted reporting or analysis on the topic. Has a source you consider authoritative covered the same news or topic? Has it has been fact-checked or rebutted? Scan multiple sources to see what the consensus seems to be. Find coverage that better suits your needs—more trusted, more in-depth, or maybe just more varied.

4. Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media Back to the Original Context. Stuff you see on the web is often commentary on the re-reporting of re-reporting on some original story or piece of research. Is your original source describing it accurately or misrepresenting the original? Here's an example of how to trace this.

4) I can determine where a source falls on the popular/scholarly continuum.

Not confident to  Somewhat confident. . .review Types of Perdiocals

Very confident. . .you already use the Rate my Source tool

5) I know how to cite print and online sources in MLA, APA, or another citation style.

Not confident to  Somewhat confident. . .review Credit where Credit is Due

Very confident. . .you are ready to choose your citation style and you know when to quote and paraphrase in order to avoid plagiarising.